Yule Ball Partners
by Vanilla Crystal
Summary: George is worried about asking someone to the Yule Ball and asks for Katie's advice. G/K


A/N: Everyone belongs to JKR. This takes place during Harry's fourth year, before the Yule Ball. We know about the people in Harry's year, but what about Fred and George's? Read on to find out.  
  
Yule Ball Partners  
  
Ever since the notice for the Yule Ball had been posted, Katie Bell couldn't help but feel worried. Who would ask her to the Ball? Fred Weasley obviously had his eyes set on asking Angelina, Lee Jordan with Alicia Spinnet, and she had no clue whom George Weasley wanted to invite. The other three Gryffindor boys already had girlfriends, and Katie didn't really know anyone outside her house. Things looked bleak, she had to admit, of there being any chance of her going to the Ball at all. Nevertheless, she kept her hopes up and a smile on her face. One day, as Alicia, Angelina, and Katie were sitting in the library, trying to do the horrendous Potions essay due in a week that Snape had assigned to the sixth- year Gryffindors over the Winter break, Lee Jordan came over towards them with an unsure look of concern on his face. Since that was quite an unusual thing for Lee to be so worried, Katie looked at him with concern.  
  
"Is everything all right, Lee?" Katie asked, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.  
  
"Yes, I just wanted to talk to Alicia," Lee said. "Alone." Alicia got up, looking confused, and walked away with Lee slowly. Katie and Angelina exchanged puzzled glances, then focused back on their essays. A few minutes late, Alicia returned with a large grin on her face and giggled excitedly as she sat on her chair, trying to insert her quill into her inkpot to no avail.  
  
"What did Lee want to ask you?" Angelina wondered.  
  
"Oh, he asked me to go to the Yule Ball with him," Alicia said. "I can't believe he actually asked me!" Her quill froze over the paper as she encountered a horrible thought.  
  
"I have absolutely nothing to wear!" she moaned.  
  
"This Hogsmeade weekend," Angelina said assertively, "we go to the nearest robes store and get something fabulous."  
  
"But didn't you already get your dress robes at the beginning of the year when it specifically said to get them?" Katie wondered.  
  
"Yes, but those are not fancy enough to wear when I'm being escorted by Lee Jordan," Alicia replied. Katie sighed and promised herself that she would never get worked up over a boy like her friend did.  
  
"He's just Lee," Katie said. "I mean, we've known him for five years and counting."  
  
"Just as a friend, though," Alicia said. "This is entirely different!" Angelina nodded.  
  
"Of course," agreed Angelina. "I wonder if Fred will ask me." Very annoyed by all talk about boys, and wanting to continue her essay in peace, Katie muttered an excuse to her friends and left the library in pursuit of a comfortable atmosphere. She finally decided on the common room, whether it was noisy or quiet. Fred and George Weasley were there, talking quietly in a corner, Harry and Ron were doing homework near the fire and laughing hysterically, Neville was trying to charm his socks with a heating charm, and Natalie McDonald, a first year, was reading a book. Alicia plopped on the couch next to Natalie and Neville and readjusted her things so that she could finish her essay. While she was working, however, she never noticed Neville get off the couch and George Weasley sit next to her. When he tapped her on the shoulder, she was completely surprised.  
  
"Oh, hello, George," said Katie, placing her quill gently on her essay paper. "How are you?"  
  
"Well, I'm nervous," replied George.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"See, I want to ask a girl to the Yule Ball, but I don't know if she'll say yes or not," George said, looking at her earnestly. Katie was quite surprised by George's seriousness.  
  
"Oh honestly, George, who wouldn't want to go with you?" Katie asked. "I don't know why everyone's making such a big fuss about this Yule Ball, but if you want to ask someone, the best way in my opinion is to casually bring it up in the conversation. Find out if she's going with anyone, and if not, just ask her. The worst that could happen is she will say no."  
  
"I see," George said, nodding slightly as he looked away at the blazing fire. "Are you going?"  
  
"To the Yule Ball? No," Katie said. "It's a waste of time to be going to that thing if you aren't with someone. Besides, I can finish my Transfiguration assignment that's been giving me a hard time and-"  
  
"Do you want to go?" George asked, more firmly this time.  
  
"I don't know. I mean, there's no one I know I could ask," Katie said. "Alicia's going with Lee, Angelina is probably going with Fred, James, Sam, and Timothy are with their girlfriends, and you're asking someone. I do not know anyone outside my House well enough to go with to the Ball."  
  
"Ah," said George.  
  
"Who are you asking, anyway?" Katie asked. "What's she like?"  
  
"She has dark brown hair, lovely eyes, and a great smile," George said. "She's really friendly, and you can talk to her about anything. She is one of the coolest girls I've met." Katie's mouth fell open.  
  
"Sounds like you really like her," Katie said. "Good luck asking."  
  
"Thanks," George muttered and rose from the couch to exit the Gryffindor tower without another word. Katie returned to her essay, with her stomach doing strange flip-flops.  
  
The next day after lunch, when Katie and the other Gryffindor sixth years had a moment to spare, Lee, George and Fred came up to Alicia, Katie, and Angelina while they were walking down a semi-cold corridor.  
  
"Hello, girls," Fred said. "How are you lovelies today?" Angelina grinned.  
  
"Fine, cutie," she replied.  
  
"Hey, Alicia, did you do that History of Magic essay?" Lee asked. "I had a bit of trouble writing about Ginkis the Goblin."  
  
"I can help you," Katie offered. Lee ignored her and continued to look imploringly at Alicia.  
  
"Of course I'll help," Alicia said.  
  
"Great," Lee replied and the two started their own conversation about goblins rebelling against kings and the like. Katie turned to George, the only one not talking.  
  
"Have you asked her yet?" Katie wondered.  
  
"No, not yet," George said. "I'm waiting for the right moment."  
  
"Oh I see," Katie said.  
  
"Katie?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Do you want to go to the Ball with me?"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"I said, do you want to go to the Ball with me?" George repeated. Katie was flabbergasted. Wasn't George going to ask a girl who had dark hair and a great smile, someone he liked a lot? But he was talking about me, Katie thought.  
  
"Um, George," Katie began. "I don't know if. I mean, there's." She couldn't say anything when George was looking at her that intensely. She noticed that her friends, Lee, and Fred had stopped talking and were now staring at her.  
  
"Please?" George whispered so softly Katie had to strain her ears to hear him. At least someone is asking me, Katie thought. I guess I could go with him. Why not? "Of course," she said. "I would like that."  
  
"Great," replied George. Fred, Angelina, Lee, and Alicia burst into applause. "Oh knock it off," George said exasperatedly.  
  
The days following were some of the most joyous and hectic Katie had ever spent at Hogwarts. Although her mind was set on the Ball, she still had to complete her homework and do five essays. It seemed like Christmas would never come. Katie was ashamed to admit to herself that she had finally become one of the girls whose mind was constantly set on the Ball. On a Wednesday after lunch, George approached Katie in one of the hallways.  
  
"Katie, could I speak to you?" George asked, with a very mischievous smile on his face.  
  
"Of course," said Katie. "Do you want to go somewhere more private?" When George answered in the affirmative, the two walked to the gardens. Katie situated herself on a bench and George sat down next to her. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Katie wondered.  
  
"To be honest, I just wanted to be with you alone," George said. "Being with everyone is nice, but sometimes Fred can really botch things." Katie nodded.  
  
"I know what you mean," she said.  
  
"Plus, Snape was coming and I didn't want to talk to him about the little 'incident' that happened yesterday," George smirked.  
  
"That man scares me," Katie said.  
  
"He scares everyone," George said, leaning towards her. As the gap between them slowly closed, Katie's heart began to race. She leaned forward and met George's lips. The kiss only lasted a second, but when it ended, George kissed her again. It went like that for quite a while, growing more and more passionate. Katie wrapped her arms around George and reached up to entwine her fingers in his hair. They would have stayed like that for longer if Fred hadn't come up behind them and cleared his throat. Katie and George separated with guilty faces.  
  
"Well, I was just going to ask George if he wanted to talk about our next prank, but I see he's already quite busy," Fred said to Katie.  
  
"Sorry Fred," George muttered. "I'm coming." He was about to stand when Katie pulled him back and gave him a very intense kiss.  
  
"Hey, can I get some of that?" joked Fred. Katie pulled from George and looked breathlessly at him.  
  
"Go ahead," George said with a curiously amused smirk. "Show Fred what he's missing out on." Katie stared at both Weasley twins incredulously.  
  
"I was only joking," George said. Fred smirked at George.  
  
"Nice girl, George. Now do you want to work on you-know-what?" Fred asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be up in a minute," replied George.  
  
"All right," said Fred and dashed back to the castle. Katie sat on the bench again and timidly faced George, unsure of what he would say.  
  
"So. George," Katie said.  
  
"So. Katie," said George. "I don't know what to say." Katie laughed.  
  
"Neither do I," she agreed.  
  
"Katie, you don't know how long it took me to work up the courage to ask you out," George said. "Every time I managed a courageous thought, I would have self doubts."  
  
"You mustn't have them anymore," said Katie. "Sometimes it's better to take action than to let the moment pass you by."  
  
"I suppose that's right," George said. "In that case, I have to kiss you again." And so he did.  
  
A/N: And the rest, they say, is history. Actually we don't know what happened between the two. if George went with Katie at all. (*grumbles* JKR didn't tell us that.) So, please review. :) 


End file.
